Caribbean & Central America - April 2019

REGION: LGBTQ+ legal rights in the Caribbean and Latin America – a comparison

The English-speaking Caribbean (ESC) and Latin America present two distinct realities as it relates to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) legal rights. On the one hand, some of the most progressive legislation in the world in favour of LGBTQ+ rights can be found in Latin America. For instance, several Latin American states have enshrined in their constitutions laws that proscribe discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, including Bolivia in 2009, Mexico in 2011, and Brazil from 2000- 2015. Cuba, Chile, Nicaragua and Uruguay have all banned discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons seeking employment and in the workplace. Additionally, same-sex marriage has been legal in Argentina since 2010, Brazil and Uruguay since 2013, and Colombia since 2016, while same-sex civil unions are permitted in Chile and Ecuador, since 2015 and 2008, respectively.